Shukuru
An African name of Swahili origin meaning "to be grateful".
Name Census estimates that about 13 living Americans carry the first name Shukuru. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Shukuru today is around 3 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shukuru births was 2022 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shukuru. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Shukuru. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
13
~ 1 in 26,365,718 Americans
Peak year
2022
7 babies that year
Average age
3
years old
2024 SSA rank
#12,098
Tracked since 2022
Popularity
Shukuru: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Shukuru by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Shukuru during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 13 | 0 | 13 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Shukuru
The name Shukuru originates from the Swahili language, which is spoken primarily in East Africa. It is derived from the Swahili verb "kushukuru," meaning "to give thanks" or "to be grateful." The name is believed to have originated among the Bantu-speaking peoples of the region, possibly as early as the 7th century AD.
Shukuru has its roots in the rich cultural traditions of East Africa, where gratitude and appreciation are highly valued virtues. The name may have been given to children as a way of expressing thankfulness to the divine or to honor a significant event or blessing in the family.
In the Islamic tradition, which has had a significant influence in East Africa, the concept of gratitude is deeply ingrained. The Qur'an frequently emphasizes the importance of being thankful to Allah for his blessings. It is possible that the name Shukuru gained popularity among Muslim communities in the region as a reflection of this value.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Shukuru can be found in the writings of Ibn Battuta, a famous Moroccan explorer and traveler of the 14th century. In his accounts of his travels through East Africa, he mentions encountering individuals with this name, suggesting its use at that time.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Shukuru:
1. Shukuru Kawawa (1925-2009), a Tanzanian politician and diplomat who served as Prime Minister of Tanzania from 1972 to 1977.
2. Shukuru Manya (born 1948), a prominent Kenyan writer and poet, known for his works that explore themes of identity, culture, and social justice.
3. Shukuru Kalulu (born 1951), a renowned Tanzanian sculptor and painter, whose works have been exhibited internationally and are part of various museum collections.
4. Shukuru Likokele (1938-2003), a Congolese musician and bandleader who played a significant role in the development of Soukous music.
5. Shukuru Mwenye (born 1970), a Tanzanian economist and academic who has held leadership positions in various international organizations, including the World Bank.
While the name Shukuru has its origins in East Africa, it has traveled beyond the region and gained recognition in other parts of the world, particularly among communities with ties to the Swahili language and culture.
People
Shukuru + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shukuru as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Shukuru: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shukuru?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 13 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shukuru going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 26,365,718 US residents.
Is Shukuru a common name?
We classify Shukuru as "Very Rare". It ranks above 33.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 13 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shukuru most popular?
The single biggest year for Shukuru was 2022, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shukuru is about 3 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Shukuru in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Shukuru a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Shukuru in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Shukuru still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Shukuru in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Shukuru can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Shukuru?
Want to know how many Americans are named Shukuru? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.